Artifacts
by xandiira
Summary: "All this is an artifact of the growth that's occurring here." A series of drabbles focused on the growing relationship between Ellie and Joel. Takes place after the game with an older cast.
1. Possession

**Possession**

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His gazed was intense and focused solely on the young woman that sat across the small room. He could have taken about five long strides over to her and swooped her up in his arms. If he could, he would take her far away and keep that infectious laughter that escaped those pert lips of hers. Her voice made heads turn and eyes shift, but he knew his gaze would forever be locked onto her.

He hated these feelings that festered.

Joel wanted her to only belong to him. Everything about her would be his. His selfish need to have her in his possession grew every time he would watch her from a distance. He was supposed to be her protector, not her possessor. The older man tried to beat this thought into his brain, so that maybe one day he wouldn't have to feel that quiver in the pit of his stomach whenever their eyes met.

All he could right now was sit there and admire the way her laugh lines appeared just slightly upon her cheeks, or how an amused twinkle shone at the corner of her eyes when she smiled. The girl that was years younger than him seemed so out of reach – untouchable – although she sat in a chair on the other side of the room. The difference in their age made him feel as if he was stepping over an invisible boundary that everyone else could see except him.

His brother nudged him and he looked back at the game of cards he was playing.

He heard a scoff from his sibling and the side of his nose twitched before he laid down a winning hand. The men around him all groaned and complained and the corner of his lips curled upwards into a small smile – not because he won, but because he heard that infectious laughter once again.

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**Disclaimer:** I do not own Last of Us.

**Author's Note**: Thanks for deciding to read my drabble fic. I have been toying with the idea of making a Last of Us multi-chap fanfic but I have another, somewhat long, story on the side that I am dedicated to.

I really want to continue with this drabble series because I loved the relationship between Ellie and Joel. I thought their personalities created this dynamic that could have easily been taken further. Yet … she was 14. Haha. So, to clarify, in this drabble she is 19, and Joel is in his late 40's. In game he is already in his late 40's but I decided that I'd rather him be the age he is now because I thought the story would flow better.

Did that make sense? I hope it did. I'll choose an exact for Joel later on. Maybe. If I remember.

Also, I am going by Kathrine Roid's 100 Themes Challenge Writing Prompt for each chapter, which you can easily google for yourself if you were interested. If anything, I would love for you guys to review and mention a theme that you would like for the next chapter, and I will choose randomly!

Please let me know how you liked my drabble, even though short, and what you would like to see next time. Thank you for reading!


	2. Nothing and Nowhere

**Nowhere and Nothing**

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"Are you gonna stay the night?"

She asked him as her arm frantically shot out to grab his just before he could walk away.

He turned and looked back down at her with those hard, grey eyes that always seemed to betray the expression he had on his face. She bit her bottom lip as she stared right back at him with a fierce look. It was the only thing she could do to combat the itching inside of her that wanted to call out his bullshit.

But without him, she would have nowhere to go, and nothing to go back to.

She watched him warily as he sat back down next to her on the bed, and released her grip when he went to move his arm. He first patted her head softly but slowly moved his palm to cup her cheek. Ellie's own hand covered his while her eyes narrowed looking up at the male sitting beside her. She inhaled slowly, taking in his scent and allowed his thumb to brush against the faded scar upon her right eyebrow.

It felt like hours passed before he spoke. "You know it's my turn to patrol tonight."

Yes, she knew. She would have been alongside him too if it weren't for the nasty fall she took earlier that day. Now, she sat in one of the beds belonging to a clinic situated in Jackson County, which she wasn't too happy about. Ever since _that _incident with the Fireflies, Ellie grew a dislike towards hospitals or anything remotely similar.

"I know," she said in a tone that admitted her selfishness.

"I can stay until you fall asleep."

She could still feel the touch of his calloused hands upon her face as they broke away. Laying upon the pillows, Ellie soon felt her eyelids become heavier with each passing second. The medicine that was given to her moments ago was probably catching up with her. But she fought to stay awake and stare at the back of the man that stayed by her side. Her eyes were fully shut when he started to hum a tune she did not know, and hoped that when she woke up the next morning he would be there and she could ask him what song he was humming.

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**Disclaimer**: I do not own The Last of Us.

**Author's Note**: Thank you for the reviews, favorites, and follows you guys! I appreciate them very much. Let me know how you liked this chapter~


	3. Empty

**Empty**

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She shouldn't have goaded the old man earlier.

Regretting her decision, she sat high up in the watch tower with him and two glasses filled with Johnnie Walker's Scotch Whisky. The bottle of said alcohol sat open on a small table between them, and the two glasses which were waiting for their drinkers to pick them up and take a swig. She really did not want to touch anymore of the 'demonic piss', as she now called it. Yet she could see the smug look on the man's face as he looked at her sneaking glances at the beverage. Ellie bit her lip in annoyance, trying to figure out how to get out of her sticky predicament.

Damn her for thinking she could handle such a drink.

She drank her few shares of beer and had shots of (cheap) vodka before, so of course she thought that she could take on scotch. The young woman thought of herself as a trooper, someone who could drink and not get what the older crowd called "shit faced". Her little adventures with alcohol gave her the assumption that she could handle stronger drinks, but Lord was she wrong. The scotch that Joel seemed to procure out of thin air was kicking her in the butt. Hard.

She heard him chuckle, so she threw a glare back at him. Usually Ellie would have welcomed these small moments where she could hear his heart racing laughter, but at this very moment she would have rather heard the clicks of a Clicker.

"Getting a little green there," he said with a smirk.

Ellie gulped, trying to keep the content in her stomach down.

"You're an ass, old man." She knew the nickname irked him but it was all in good fun, this they both knew. "I can still drink."

"Hmm," he said in a disbelieving tone as he took his glass to his lips and drank.

Just watching him drink made her want to throw up. She nearly did too when she took her first sip of the 'demonic piss', and Joel got a total kick out of it. When that liquid hit her tastebuds, she almost tossed her glass aside and ran for the railing. Although he got up to make sure she was ok, the man did it with an entertained look on his face the whole time. This was probably an experience he would never let her live down. He wouldn't tell everyone in the county, he was never that type of person, but behind closed doors he'd hold it against her.

When he placed his drink down, Ellie looked at him as if antennas were growing on top of his head. How he was able to drink that concoction without a look of disgust was beyond her. But that was what she adored about him. No matter how much time they spent together, which seemed to be a lot from what people told her, there was always this hidden side of him that she got to discover. She got to learn something new about this man every day and she enjoyed that. There was no person in this world that could probably make her feel this way.

She noticed his questioning look and quickly grabbed her cup filled with alcohol in embarrassment. How long had she been staring at him?

Putting the rim to her lips, she thought to herself '_Don't think about it_' and closed her eyes. The swig she took of the scotch felt like forever, and the burn trailed down her throat before pooling in her stomach. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and placed her glass next to her. Ellie sucked in the winter air fast, trying to get the taste out of her mouth any way possible.

She heard him chuckle again.

"You finished it."

Ellie gave a nod before she felt her head begin to spin. When she gazed over his way, he also finished his drink with ease and settled the empty glass next to hers.

"I'll admit, you're a trooper for your first time drinking whisky, Ellie."

Her eyes opened wide a little when he complimented her, and she felt the hair on her skin stand on end when he said her name.

"Y-you think so?"

"Yeah."

"Will you still think the same if I told you my head's spinning a little?"

"I have water, do you want some?"

"I'll survive."

They went quiet for a moment and the two looked off into the dark distance. She didn't know when it happened but she was now gripping the wooden railing and staring up at the twinkling sky above them. The stars that night were bright enough to count and point out constellations. Winter nights like these made Ellie forget the first winter they spent together.

"How did you learn to drink like that?"

"Like what?"

He raised an eyebrow and she turned to face him and nodded slowly towards his empty mug. Ellie didn't miss the intent look in his eyes – was it because he was worried that she'd fall over?

"Like – like you just don't give a shit."

"Long story short, senior year of high school. Not really something you'd want to hear me talk about."

"You drank it like it was water."

"Well, being completely honest, scotch is actually my poison of choice."

"You're shitting me."

He laughed. She bit her lower lip again and forced down a smile.

"No, I'm not shitting you."

"You know, there are times when I think you're –"

The red head tried to make it back to her seat but along the way, her foot must have hit a raised floorboard or she tripped over herself. No, it was most likely because she was intoxicated. Ellie braced herself to hit the floor beneath her but was surprised when arms wrapped themselves around her body. She looked up to see him staring down at her with an unreadable expression on his face.

Ellie licked her lips, unable to look away from his stare, and tried to mutter a 'thank you'. She wasn't sure if she said it or not but he must have guessed it because he gave a small nod.

His grip was still tight and she also noticed that her hands were fiercely clasping his jacket. Although they had their winter gear on, the red head swore that his body pressed against hers was the one keeping her warm. Her green eyes stared up into his grey ones, trying their hardest to search for some sort of answer that would tell her what he was thinking. She felt her heart beat faster – or was it his – as they stood silently there together in that one moment.

Ellie wondered if it was the alcohol running through her system backing her up and letting her inhibitions run wild when she melded into his touch. The young woman began to lift herself up, tilting her head as she did so, seeing if he would budge and break away from her. To her surprise, he didn't and so she continued slowly upwards. 

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**Disclaimer**: I do not own The Last of Us.

**Author's Note**: MY GOSH. This was a pain to write because I didn't know how to end it. Also, this fic is dedicated to Twisted Cinderella and doomsta27; made this chapter a little bit longer for you guys! Well, I hope you guys like it. (;


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